Membership of the 113 th Congress: A Profile

Transcription

1 Membership of the 113 th Congress: A Profile Jennifer E. Manning Information Research Specialist November 24, 2014 Congressional Research Service R42964

2 Summary This report presents a profile of the membership of the 113 th Congress ( ). Statistical information is included on selected characteristics of Members, including data on party affiliation, average age, occupation, education, length of congressional service, religious affiliation, gender, ethnicity, foreign births, and military service. As of November 24, 2014, in the House of Representatives, there are 234 Republicans, 207 Democrats (including 5 Delegates and the Resident Commissioner), and no vacant seats. The Senate has 45 Republicans, 53 Democrats, and 2 Independents, who caucus with the Democrats. The average age of Members of the House at the beginning of the 113 th Congress was 57.0 years; of Senators, 62.0 years. The overwhelming majority of Members of Congress have a college education. The dominant professions of Members are public service/politics, business, and law. Most Members identify as Christians, and Protestants collectively constitute the majority religious affiliation. Roman Catholics account for the largest single religious denomination, and numerous other affiliations are represented. The average length of service for Representatives at the beginning of the 113 th Congress was 9.1 years (4.6 terms); for Senators, 10.2 years (1.7 terms). One hundred three women (a record number) serve in the 113 th Congress: 83 in the House, including 3 Delegates, and 20 in the Senate. There are 43 African American Members of the House and 2 in the Senate. This House number includes 2 Delegates. There are 37 Hispanic or Latino Members (a record number) serving: 33 in the House, including 1 Delegate and the Resident Commissioner, and 4 in the Senate. Thirteen Members (10 Representatives, 2 Delegates, and 1 Senator) are Asian American or Pacific Islanders. Two American Indians (Native Americans) serve in the House. The portions of this report covering political party affiliation, gender, ethnicity, and vacant seats will be updated as events warrant. The remainder of the report will not be updated. Congressional Research Service

3 Contents Overview and Total Members in History... 1 Party Breakdown... 1 Age... 2 Occupations... 2 Education... 5 Congressional Service... 6 Religion... 7 Gender and Ethnicity... 7 Female Members... 7 African American Members... 8 Hispanic/Latino American Members... 8 Asian/Pacific Islander American Members... 8 American Indian Members... 9 Foreign Birth... 9 Military Service... 9 Tables Table 1. Average Age of Members, 111 th -113 th Congresses... 2 Table 2. Most Frequently Listed Occupational Categories by Members, 113 th Congress... 3 Table 3. Average Length of Service of Members of Congress, 109 th -113 th Congresses... 6 Contacts Author Contact Information Acknowledgments Congressional Research Service

4 Overview and Total Members in History Congress is composed of 541 individuals from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico. 1 This count assumes that no seat is temporarily vacant. 2 Since 1789, 12,113 individuals have served in Congress: 3 10,824 in the House and 1,949 in the Senate. 4 Of these Members, 662 have served in both chambers. These numbers do not include the additional 213 nonvoting Delegates and Resident Commissioners who have served in the House. The following is a profile of the 113 th Congress ( ). 5 Party Breakdown In the 113 th Congress, the current party alignments as of November 24, 2014, are House of Representatives: 234 Republicans, 207 Democrats (including the 5 Delegates and the Resident Commissioner), and no vacant seats. Senate: 53 Democrats; 2 Independents, who caucus with the Democrats; and 45 Republicans. 1 This figure includes 100 Senators, 435 Representatives, 5 Delegates (from the District of Columbia, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands), and 1 Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico. 2 As of November 24, 2014, there are no House vacancies and no Senate vacancies. For information on all resignations, deaths, special elections, and appointments to fill vacancies in the 113 th Congress, refer to Changes in the Membership of the 113 th Congress at This site is updated whenever there is a change in the membership of the House or Senate. 3 Office of History, Art and Archives, U.S. House of Representatives, Total Members of the House and State Representation, updated January 3, 2013, supplemented with CRS research. Information about all individuals who have served in Congress is available in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, a website maintained by the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate at 4 A cumulative chronological list of all U.S. Senators is available on the Senate website at artandhistory/history/resources/pdf/chronlist.pdf. Information about all House Members is available on the House website at 5 Information on the five Delegates and the Resident Commissioner is included where relevant. References to Representatives include information for the 435 Members of the House, but not Delegates or the Resident Commissioner. For background information on the previous Congress, refer to CRS Report R41647, Membership of the 112 th Congress: A Profile, by Jennifer E. Manning. See also CRS Report RL30378, African American Members of the United States Congress: , by Jennifer E. Manning and Colleen J. Shogan; CRS Report RL30261, Women in the United States Congress, : Biographical and Committee Assignment Information, and Listings by State and Congress, by Jennifer E. Manning and Ida A. Brudnick; CRS Report R42365, Representatives and Senators: Trends in Member Characteristics Since 1945, coordinated by R. Eric Petersen; and CRS Report , Asian Pacific Americans in the United States Congress, by Lorraine H. Tong. Congressional Research Service 1

5 Age The average age of Members of the 113 th Congress is among the highest of any Congress in recent U.S. history. 6 Table 1 shows the average ages at the beginning of the 113 th Congress. Table 1. Average Age of Members, 111 th -113 th Congresses Average (mean) age at the beginning of the Congress Congress Representatives Newly Elected Representatives Senators Newly Elected Senators 113 th 57.0 years 49.2 years 62.0 years 53.0 years 112 th 56.7 years 48.2 years 62.2 years 52.1 years 111 th 57.2 years 49.8 years 63.1 years 57.1 years Source: CRS calculations based on CQ Roll Call Member Profiles. Notes: Representatives age data do not include the Delegates and the Resident Commissioner. Newly Elected Members data do not include those returning to the House or Senate for a second time. The U.S. Constitution requires Representatives to be at least 25 years old when they take office. The youngest Representative at the beginning of the 113 th Congress was 29-year-old Patrick Murphy (D-FL), born March 30, The oldest Representative in U.S. history, as well as the oldest current Member of Congress, is Ralph Hall (R-TX), born May 3, 1923, who was 89 at the beginning of the 113 th Congress. Senators must be at least 30 years old when they take office. The oldest Senator in the 113 th Congress is Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), born June 22, 1933, who was 79 at the beginning of the Congress. 7 The youngest Senator is Christopher S. Murphy (D-CT), born August 3, 1973, who was 39. Occupations According to the CQ Roll Call Guide to the New Congress, in the 113 th Congress, law is the dominantly declared profession of Senators, followed by public service/politics, then business; for Representatives, business is first, followed by public service/politics, then law. 8 6 For average ages of Members in each Congress from 1949 to 2011, refer to an online feature of the Wall Street Journal, The Capitol s Age Pyramid: A Graying Congress, at CONGRESS_AGES_1009.html. 7 Until his death at age 89 on June 3, 2013, Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), born January 23, 1924, had been the oldest Senator in the 113 th Congress. 8 Demographics of the New Congress CQ Roll Call Guide to the New Congress (November 8, 2012), pp , available on the CQ.com subscription database at guidetothenewcongress pdf. Congressional Research Service 2

6 Table 2 uses data from the CQ Roll Call Member Profiles to show the following occupations most frequently listed for Members at the beginning of the 113 th Congress. Table 2. Most Frequently Listed Occupational Categories by Members, 113 th Congress At the beginning of the 113 th Congress Occupation Representatives Senators Business Education Law Public Service/Politics Source: CQ Roll Call Member Profiles. Notes: Most members list more than one profession when surveyed by CQ Roll Call, and the professions listed are not necessarily the ones practiced by Members immediately prior to entering Congress. A closer look at the prior occupations and previously held public offices of Members of the House and Senate at the beginning of the 113 th Congress, as listed in their CQ Roll Call Member Profiles, 9 also shows the following: 51 Senators have previous House service; 102 educators, employed as teachers, professors, instructors, school fundraisers, counselors, administrators, or coaches (90 in the House, 12 in the Senate); 2 physicians in the Senate, 17 physicians in the House (including 1 Delegate), plus 2 dentists, 2 veterinarians, and 1 psychiatrist; 10 3 psychologists (both in the House), an optometrist (in the Senate), and 5 nurses (all in the House); 5 ordained ministers, all in the House; 33 former mayors (24 in the House, 9 in the Senate); former state governors (all 10 in the Senate) 12 and 8 lieutenant governors (4 in the Senate, 4 in the House, including 2 Delegates); 9 CQ Roll Call Member Profiles are available on the CQ.com subscription database at home.do. The CQ.com database is available in all Senate offices and most House offices. The professions listed here are not exhaustive, and are not necessarily the ones practiced by Members immediately prior to entering Congress. Most Members list more than one profession in their CQ Roll Call Member Profiles. 10 One of the medical doctors in the Senate is an ophthalmologist. For more details on medical professionals serving in the 113 th Congress, see Mike Mitka, Physicians in Congress, JAMA, vol. 308, no. 22 (December 12, 2012), p. 2327, 11 Another former mayor was elected to the Senate in October Another former state governor was elected to the House in May 2013, and another former lieutenant governor was appointed to the Senate in February Congressional Research Service 3

7 7 former judges (all in the House), and 32 prosecutors (8 in the Senate, and 24 in the House, including a Delegate), who have served in city, county, state, federal, or military capacities; 1 former Cabinet Secretary (in the Senate), and 2 Ambassadors (one in each chamber); 262 state or territorial legislators (219 in the House, including 2 Delegates, and 43 in the Senate); 13 at least 100 congressional staffers (20 in the Senate, 80 in the House), as well as 8 congressional pages (4 in the House and 4 in the Senate); 14 5 Peace Corps volunteers, all in the House; 3 sheriffs and 1 deputy sheriff, 2 FBI agents (all in the House), and a firefighter in the Senate; 2 physicists, 6 engineers, and 1 microbiologist (all in the House, with the exception of 1 Senator who is an engineer); 5 radio talk show hosts (4 House, 1 Senate), 6 radio or television broadcasters (5 House, 1 Senate), 7 reporters or journalists (5 in the House, 2 in the Senate), and a radio station manager and a public television producer (both in the House); 9 accountants in the House and 2 in the Senate; 5 software company executives, all in the House; 3 pilots, all in the House, and 1 astronaut, in the Senate; a screenwriter, a comedian, and a documentary film maker, all in the Senate, and a professional football player, in the House; 29 farmers, ranchers, or cattle farm owners (25 House, 4 Senate); 2 almond orchard owners, both in the House, 1 cattle farm owner (a Senator), 1 vintner (a House Member), 1 fisherman (a House Member), and 1 fruit orchard worker (a House Member); 7 social workers in the House and 2 in the Senate; and 9 current members of the military reserves (8 House, 1 Senate), and 6 current members of the National Guard (all in the House). Other occupations listed in the CQ Roll Call Member Profiles include car dealership owner, auto worker, insurance agent, rodeo announcer, union representative, stockbroker, welder, venture capitalist, funeral home owner, and software engineer. 13 National Conference of State Legislators, Former State Legislators in the 113 th Congress (as of January 4, 2013), supplemented by data from CQ Roll Call Member Profiles. 14 Michael L. Koempel and Judy Schneider, Congressional Deskbook, 6 th ed. (Washington: TheCapitol.Net, 2012), figure 5.22, supplemented by data from CQ Roll Call Member Profiles. Congressional Research Service 4

8 Education As has been true in recent Congresses, the vast majority of Members (93% of House Members and 99% of Senators) at the beginning of the 113 th Congress hold bachelor s degrees. The CQ Roll Call Member Profiles at the beginning of the 113 th Congress indicate the following: 21 Members of the House and 1 Senator have no educational degree beyond a high school diploma; 7 Members of the House, but no Senators, have associate s degrees as their highest degree, and 1 House Member has an L.P.N. (nursing) degree; 85 members of the House and 14 Senators earned a master s degree as their highest education degree; Law degrees are held by 169 Members of the House (38% of the House) and 57 Senators (57% of the Senate); Of the Members holding a law degree, 4 (3 House Members and 1 Senator) also hold an LL.M. (Master of Laws) degree; 20 Representatives (but no Senators) have doctoral (Ph.D. or D.Phil.) degrees; and 22 Members of the House and 3 Senators have a medical degree. 15 By comparison, approximately 30 years ago in the 97 th Congress ( ), 84% of House Members and 88% of Senators held bachelor s degrees. Approximately 40 years ago, in the 92 nd Congress ( ), 77% of House Members and 87% of Senators held bachelor s degrees. Fifty-two years ago, in the 87 th Congress ( ), 71% of House Members and 76% of Senators held bachelor s degrees. 16 Three Representatives and one Senator in the 113 th Congress are graduates of the U.S. Military Academy and one Senator and one Representative graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. Two Senators and two Representatives were Rhodes Scholars, two Representatives were Fulbright Scholars, two Representatives were Marshall Scholars, and one Senator and one Representative were Truman Scholars Three Senators, 16 Representatives, and 1 delegate have an M.D. degree; 1 Representative has a D.O. (doctor of osteopathic medicine) degree; 2 Representatives have a D.D.S. (doctor of dental surgery) degree; and 2 Representatives have a D.V.M. (doctor of veterinary medicine) degree. 16 CRS Report R42365, Representatives and Senators: Trends in Member Characteristics Since 1945, coordinated by R. Eric Petersen. 17 Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships fund study at British Universities; Fulbright Scholarships fund international exchange programs; Truman Scholarships fund graduate study towards public service. Congressional Research Service 5

9 Congressional Service The average length of service of Members of the House at the beginning of the 113 th Congress was 9.1 years (4.6 terms) and for Senators 10.2 years (1.7 terms). 18 Table 3. Average Length of Service of Members of Congress, 109 th -113 th Congresses Average (mean) at the beginning of the Congress, in years and numbers of terms Congress Representatives Senators 113 th 9.1 years (4.6 terms) 10.2 years (1.7 terms) 112 th 9.8 years (4.9 terms) 11.4 years (1.9 terms) 111 th 10.3 years (5.2 terms) 13.4 years (2.2 terms) 110 th 10.3 years (5.2 terms) 13.1 years (2.2 terms) 109 th 10.1 years (5.1 terms) 12.3 years (2.1 terms) Source: CRS Report R41545, Congressional Careers: Service Tenure and Patterns of Member Service, , by Matthew E. Glassman and Amber Hope Wilhelm. Notes: Representatives are elected for two-year terms. Senators are elected for six-year terms. Note that 51 Senators in the 113 th Congress have previously served in the House. Their House service is not included in this average, nor is the House service of Senators in previous Congresses. As of June 7, 2013, Representative John Dingell (D-MI), the current dean of the House, has the longest service of any Member in history (57 years and counting). He began serving on December 13, At the beginning of the 113 th Congress, 75 of the Representatives (17% of the total House membership) had first been elected to the House in November 2012, and 14 of the Senators (14% of the total Senate membership) had first been elected to the Senate in November 2012, or appointed to the Senate in December These numbers are lower than at the beginning of the 112 th Congress, when 21% of the House, and 15% of the Senate, were newly elected or appointed freshmen. At the beginning of the 113 th Congress, 157 Representatives (36% of the House Members) had no more than 2 years of House experience, and 30 Senators (30% of the Senators) had no more than 2 years of Senate experience. For more historical information on the tenure of Members of Congress, please see CRS Report R41545, Congressional Careers: Service Tenure and Patterns of Member Service, , by Matthew E. Glassman and Amber Hope Wilhelm. 18 Representatives are elected for two-year terms and Senators are elected for six-year terms. Congressional Research Service 6

10 Religion Ninety-eight percent of the Members of the 113 th Congress cite a specific religious affiliation. 19 Of the 98%, the vast majority are Christian. Statistics gathered by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, which studies the religious affiliation of Members, and CQ Roll Call at the beginning of the 113 th Congress showed the following: 56% of the Members (247 in the House, 52 in the Senate) are Protestant, with Baptist as the most represented denomination; 31% of the Members (136 in the House, 27 in the Senate) are Catholic; 6.2% of the Members (22 in the House, 11 in the Senate) are Jewish; 2.8% of the Members (8 in the House, 7 in the Senate) are Mormon (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints); 3 Members (2 in the House, 1 in the Senate) are Buddhist, 2 House Members are Muslim, and 1 House Member is Hindu; and Other religious affiliations represented include Greek Orthodox, Quaker, Unitarian Universalist, and Christian Science. The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life states, The changes in the religious makeup of Congress during the last half-century mirror broader changes in American society. Congress, like the nation as a whole, has become much less Protestant and more religiously diverse. The number of Protestants in Congress has dropped from three-quarters (75%) in 1961 to 56% today... Meanwhile, other religious groups have seen their share of congressional seats grow, in some cases dramatically. 20 Gender and Ethnicity Female Members A record 103 women (19.0% of total membership) serve in the 113 th Congress as of November 2014, 10 more than at the beginning of the 112 th Congress. 21 Eighty-three women, including 3 19 Eleven Members of the 113 th Congress do not specify a religious affiliation. The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, Faith on the Hill: the Religious Composition of the 113 th Congress, Faith-on-the-Hill-The-Religious-Composition-of-the-113th-Congress.aspx. 20 The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, Faith on the Hill: the Religious Composition of the 113 th Congress, Detailed religious affiliation information for the Members of the 113 th Congress (excluding the Delegates and the Resident Commissioner) is available on this website. 21 One hundred and one women were sworn into the 113 th Congress, but one female House Member has since resigned, and three more have been elected. For more information, see CRS Report RL30261, Women in the United States Congress, : Biographical and Committee Assignment Information, and Listings by State and Congress, by Jennifer E. Manning and Ida A. Brudnick. Congressional Research Service 7

11 Delegates, serve in the House and 20 in the Senate. Of the 83 women in the House, 64 are Democrats, including the 3 Delegates, and 19 are Republicans. Of the 20 women in the Senate, 16 are Democrats and 4 are Republicans. African American Members There are 45 African American Members (8.3% of the total membership) in the 113 th Congress, one more than at the beginning of the 112 th Congress. Forty-three serve in the House, including 2 Delegates, and 2 serve in the Senate. 22 This number includes one Member of the House who is of African American and Asian ancestry and is counted in both ethnic categories in this report. All of the 43 House Members, including 2 Delegates, are Democrats, and there is a Senator of each party. Sixteen African American women, including two Delegates, serve in the House. Hispanic/Latino American Members There are 37 Hispanic or Latino Members in the 113 th Congress, 6.9% of the total membership. 23 Thirty-three serve in the House and four in the Senate. Of the Members of the House, 26 are Democrats (including 1 Delegate and the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico), 24 7 are Republicans, and 9 are women. There are 4 male Hispanic Senators (3 Republicans, 1 Democrat). One set of Hispanic Members, Representatives Linda Sánchez and Loretta Sanchez, 25 are sisters. 26 Asian/Pacific Islander American Members Thirteen Members of the 113 th Congress (2.4% of the total membership, the same as at the beginning of the 112 th Congress) are of Asian, South Asian, or Pacific Islander ancestry. Twelve of them (all Democrats) serve in the House, and one (a Democrat) serves in the Senate. Of those serving in the House, two are Delegates. Seven of the Asian Pacific American Members are female: six in the House and one in the Senate Forty-four African Americans were elected to the 113 th Congress, but one House-Member-elect chose not to be sworn in, and another was instead appointed to the Senate. An additional African American was temporarily appointed to the Senate in February 2013 and served until July 2013, another was elected to the House in April 2013, another was elected to the Senate in October 2013, another resigned from the House in January 2014, and another was elected to the House in November For more information, see CRS Report RL30378, African American Members of the United States Congress: , by Jennifer E. Manning and Colleen J. Shogan. 23 This number includes three House Members and one Senator who are of Portuguese ancestry and belong to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus or the Congressional Hispanic Conference. For more information, see the House Office of History and Preservation s Hispanic Americans in Congress website at Publications/HAIC/Hispanic-Americans-in-Congress/, and the Library of Congress Hispanic Reading Room s Hispanic Americans in Congress website at 24 This number includes one Delegate who is of Hispanic and Asian ancestry and counted in both ethic categories. 25 Both sisters are Democrats from California. Note that Linda Sánchez uses an accent in her last name; her sister Loretta does not. 26 Note that brothers Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) and Representative Sander Levin (D-MI) also serve in the 113 th Congress. 27 For more information, see CRS Report , Asian Pacific Americans in the United States Congress, by Lorraine H. Tong. Congressional Research Service 8

12 These numbers include one House Member who is also of African American ancestry and another of Hispanic ancestry; these Members are counted in both ethnic categories. American Indian Members There are two American Indian (Native American) Members of the 113 th Congress, both of whom are Republican Members of the House. 28 Foreign Birth Ten Representatives and three Senators (2.4% of the entire 113 th Congress) were born outside the United States. Their places of birth include Canada, Cuba, Great Britain, Japan, Peru, and Thailand. Many of these Members were born to American citizens working or serving abroad. The U.S. Constitution requires that Representatives be citizens for seven years, and Senators be citizens for nine years, before they take office. Military Service At the beginning of the 113 th Congress, there were 108 Members (20% of the total membership) who had served or were serving in the military, 10 fewer than at the beginning of the 112 th Congress (118 Members) and 12 fewer than in the 111 th Congress (120 members). According to lists compiled by CQ Roll Call, the House currently has 88 veterans (including 2 female Members, as well as 2 Delegates); the Senate has These Members served in World War II, 30 the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kosovo, as well as during times of peace. Many have served in the Reserves and the National Guard. Eight House Members and one Senator are still serving in the Reserves, and six House Members are still serving in the National Guard. Both of the female veterans are combat veterans. The number of veterans in the 113 th Congress reflects the trend of steady decline in recent decades in the number of Members who have served in the military. For example, 64% of the members of the 97 th Congress ( ) were veterans; and in the 92 nd Congress ( ), 73% of the Members were veterans. For summary information on the demographics of Members in selected past Congresses, including age trends, occupational backgrounds, military veteran status, and educational 28 This number only includes Members who are enrolled members of federally recognized tribes. For more information, see CRS congressional distribution memorandum, Members of Congress of American Indian Descent, by Jennifer Manning, available to congressional offices upon request. 29 CQ Roll Call, 113 th Congress: House Military Veterans, mff-house-veterans, and 113 th Congress: Senate Military Veterans, report=mff-senate-veterans. Both lists updated May A publically available list of House veterans as of the beginning of the 113 th Congress is available on the House Library s website at We have been unable to identify a comparable Senate list on an official Senate website. 30 Three Members of the 113 th Congress (2 House Members and 1 Senator) served in World War II. The Senator, Frank Lautenberg, died on June 3, Congressional Research Service 9

13 attainment, please see CRS Report R42365, Representatives and Senators: Trends in Member Characteristics Since 1945, coordinated by R. Eric Petersen. 31 Author Contact Information Jennifer E. Manning Information Research Specialist Acknowledgments Matthew Glassman, Eric Petersen, and the staff of the Office of the Historian of the United States House of Representatives provided assistance. 31 Because of differences in data sources used, some demographic information may differ between CRS Report R42365, Representatives and Senators: Trends in Member Characteristics Since 1945, this report, and other demographic studies of Congress. Other sources of demographic information for the 113 th Congress, including downloadable data sets, are the State of the 113 th Congress website of the Social Science Research Council s Measure of America project at and Vital Statistics on Congress at a joint project of the American Enterprise Institute and the Brookings Institution. Also, the House Library s Reference File Drawer webpage at includes lists such as Representatives of the 113 th Congress Lawyers and Representatives of the 113 th Congress Youngest. Congressional Research Service 10